


A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling

by mysticanni



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Flowers, Influenza, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 07:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticanni/pseuds/mysticanni
Summary: Roger owns a flower shop.John sells roses at the flower market.Love blossoms.





	A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling

**Author's Note:**

> Short but hopefully sweet. Written for the Day 4 Joger Week 2019 prompt 'flowers'.

Roger arrived early at the flower market every day. Early birds got the pick of the blooms. As an added bonus it was less crowded so he had a chance to chat with the stall-holders.

  
He had a chance to talk to John.

  
Or, to be exact, he had the chance to blush and stammer and look like an utter fool in front of John. That was usually what happened.

  
With Freddie he could joke and haggle over prices; with Brian he could enthuse over new varieties and environmentally friendly growers. John was different: more reserved and so beautiful with his long hair and his soulful eyes. John was friendly but seemed distant and unattainable. He was out of Roger’s league.

  
*

  
Arriving early meant Roger had time to join the stall-holders at Crystal’s cafe for breakfast. There was always a queue. Roger waited patiently and Crystal handed him strong sweetened black coffee and a doughnut without being asked. Roger handed over the exact money as he did every morning. ‘You look like shit,’ Crystal remarked.

  
‘Thanks a lot,’ Roger muttered. He raised his mug in a mock toast to Crystal. ‘Cheers.’

  
There were no spare seats in the small cafe so Roger leaned at the end of the counter to sip his coffee and nibble at his doughnut. The cafe was packed with market stall holders. Roger tended to be the only buyer who arrived quite so early. He nodded to a couple of people he recognised. Then he realised that John and Brian were sitting near him, with their backs to him.

  
Brian laughed at something John had said. ‘Yeah, as if his tiny orders make the slightest difference to us,’ Brian said dismissively.

  
‘Oh, I know,’ John agreed, ‘but he acts like our best friend. He bought yellow roses as well as his usual order the other day and acted like he was doing me a favour.’

  
Roger froze.

  
He had bought yellow roses from John the other day, in addition to his usual order for red, pink and cream blooms. Were they talking about him?

  
He was dimly aware of Freddie making a grand entrance, greeting everyone. ‘Good morning! Hello, darling! John! Brian! My dears! Roger, sweetheart, are you okay, my dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

  
‘Uh... Hi, Fred, I... Late night... I’m just going to get some fresh air...’

  
*

  
‘What’s up with Rog?’ Freddie asked, forcing Brian to share his seat and his toast.

  
‘Was he right behind us? John wondered, looking anxiously at Freddie, who nodded. ‘Oh, Bri, you don’t think he heard us, do you?’

  
‘If you were talking about him then he would definitely have been able to hear you, darling,’ Freddie frowned, ‘not like you two to be bitchy. Deaky I thought you had a crush on Roger, dear?’

  
‘Oh, we weren’t talking about him!’ John cried. ‘We were talking about Paul fucking Prenter with his crappy orders that there is always an issue with and... Oh! The roses! The yellow roses! Oh! Roger will think I meant him! Fuck!’

  
‘Never mind, dear, I expect it is fixable,’ Freddie patted John’s shoulder. He beamed at Crystal who was setting a cup of tea and a plate of cinnamon toast in front of him. ‘You’re a treasure, Crystal, darling. Put it on my slate, dear.’

  
‘Your secret admirer paid,’ Crystal told him, retreating back behind the counter before this fully registered with Freddie and ignoring his subsequent insistent yells for Crystal to tell him who his secret admirer was. (‘Don’t you mean which one?’ Brian asked in amusement.)

  
*

  
Roger bought carnations from Brian; enduring love. He bought lilies from Freddie; beauty and refinement. He bought roses from John; romantic love.

  
Roger normally visited Freddie, Brian and John first but deliberately left them until last so that there were other buyers present and no opportunity to chat. His head throbbed and his throat felt scratchy. He thought he might be coming down with something.

  
A man was arguing with John about something. As the man turned to leave he bumped into Roger. ‘Watch where you’re going you dumb blond!’ he seethed. He then jabbed his finger into Roger’s chest. ‘You have that shop on Queen Street, don’t you? The cafe and flower shop?’

  
‘Er... Yes,’ Roger nodded.

  
‘You can’t combine a cafe and a flower shop,’ the man snapped.

  
Roger shrugged. ‘It works for me,’ he said.

  
The man glared at him and strode off.

  
Roger’s encounter with John was brief and business like. John leaned towards him and said, ‘Roger, look, I...’ But what he was about to say was interrupted by the arrival of another buyer.

  
*

  
You’ve got ‘flu’.’ Dominique stated later that day. Roger was slumped behind the counter. ‘Go home, I’ll lock up.’ She gave him a stern look. ‘Don’t come in tomorrow, either. I can go to the market and I can handle the shop.’

  
‘It’s too much for one person Dom,’ Roger protested. ‘I’m fine.’ He felt terrible.

  
‘Ronnie can help me. She doesn’t have any classes on Tuesdays.’

  
‘I expect she is supposed to be studying, not helping her girlfriend at work,’ Roger pointed out.

  
‘She won’t mind. She likes chatting to the customers. Plus she gets to spend the day with me. What’s not to like? If she absolutely insists she can always study here.’ Dominique stroked Roger’s hair, gently. ‘Go home, Rog, and stay in bed tomorrow.’

  
*

  
Roger had not appeared at the market for a couple of days. John asked Crystal if he had seen him. Crystal shrugged. ‘He’s been sending his assistant.’ He had to serve another customer and did not elaborate on this.

  
*

  
Crystal went to see Roger after work. He took cold and ‘flu’ remedies and homemade soup. ‘John’s been asking after you,’ he said. He plonked himself down in an armchair and surveyed Roger, who was sprawled on the sofa wrapped in a blanket.

  
Roger sniffed. ‘He thinks I’m pathetic. They all do.’ He explained what he had overheard to Crystal.

  
Crystal frowned. ‘Reckon you’ve got that wrong, somehow, Petal,’ he said. ‘John seemed genuinely worried about you.’

  
Roger shook his head. ‘He’s out of my league anyway,’ he said sadly.

  
‘Well, yeah,’ Crystal agreed, ‘but I still think he likes you.’

  
In an attempt to get Crystal to drop the subject Roger asked, ‘Is the bloke from the fruit ‘n’ veg market still after Freddie?’

  
‘Jim Hutton? Yeah, he keeps buying Freddie breakfast. Freddie hasn’t figured out who his secret admirer is yet. Reckon I’ll tell him on Friday.’

  
‘What’s so special about Friday?’ Roger wondered.

  
Crystal shrugged. ‘It’s a Friday the thirteenth. Additional drama is required.’

  
*

  
‘You are still ill,’ Dominique noted disapprovingly when Roger arrived at the flower cafe on Friday.

  
‘And you have been here all alone all week and I have arrived to give you a break,’ Roger said firmly. ‘I won’t stay all day and I am beyond grateful to you for going to the flower market the last couple of mornings. Please let me take over for an hour or two now, though. Take Ronnie out to lunch to say thank you, or something.’

  
Dom kissed his cheek. ‘I won’t be long.’

  
‘Take as long as you like,’ Roger told her.

  
*

  
Lunchtime was busy and Roger slightly regretted having come in. Dom deserved the time off though. He heaved a sigh of relief when he was eventually alone in the shop. He began to clear and wipe down the cafe tables.

  
The bell over the door jangled. ‘I’ll be with you in a moment,’ he called, as cheerfully as possible.

  
Turning around he saw a large bunch of deep red roses. Romantic love, he thought. Then he wondered who the hell was bringing flowers into a flower shop, although perhaps this customer was planning to meet and romance someone in the cafe?

‘May I help you?’ he asked.

  
To his surprise, John peeked round the blooms. ‘For you,’ he said rather curtly, thrusting the roses towards Roger.

  
‘Thank you,’ Roger croaked. He accepted the flowers and felt thorns dig into his flesh.

  
‘You’re ill,’ John realised.

  
‘Yeah, bit of a cold,’ Roger set the roses in a bucket of water behind the counter. ‘Can I get you anything?’

  
‘I want you.’ John was blushing.

  
Roger rubbed his ear, wondering if he had an ear infection. ‘Sorry?’

  
‘I want you.’ John repeated. He was now scarlet with embarrassment.

  
‘Me?’

  
John rolled his eyes. ‘How many times do I have to say it?’ he asked impatiently. He strode forwards, seized the front of Roger’s jumper and pulled him close. Their lips smashed together. Roger felt a brief moment of panic: he could not breathe through his blocked nose. It would be a good way to die, he decided.

  
‘Sorry,’ John released him. He hoped Crystal had been correct when he had told John that his feelings were reciprocated by Roger.

  
‘No need to be sorry,’ Roger assured him. He leaned in for a softer kiss. ‘Um... You’ll catch my cold...’

  
John shrugged. ‘It’d be worth it. Er... I... The man who dictated you couldn’t have a cafe and a flower shop combined?’

  
Roger nodded. ‘I remember him.’

  
‘Well, he was the person I was discussing with Brian in the cafe that morning, not you.’

  
‘Oh.’ Roger grinned, ‘I did think...’

  
‘Yeah,’ John kissed him again. ‘Happily for you, I love you, despite all the evidence you are an idiot.’

  
‘You love me?’ Roger echoed.

  
John blushed again and Roger thought that was something he could get used to. ‘Love,’ John confirmed. ‘Is this constant repetition something I’ll have to get used to?’

  
Roger grinned. ‘The trouble here is that there are too many words and not enough kissing,’ he explained.

  
‘I quite agree,’ John nodded. ‘Luckily, that is easily fixed.’

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far then thank you for reading! :) 
> 
> Let me know what you think?


End file.
